Jasper has overall responsibility for the Vala EIS Portfolio’s deal flow and mentoring services. He is an entrepreneur who has founded and invested in many companies in the media, technology and engineering sectors. Previous ventures include: Static 2358, Electra Entertainment, Optimistic Entertainment Plc, PlayJam, PlayStack and Arksen. He has generated a number of highly successful exits, creating significant shareholder value along the way.

James has responsibility for the day to day oversight of Vala. James has enjoyed a successful career in sales and marketing for over 30 years primarily within financial services with PwC, ABN Amro and Dun & Bradstreet but with spells in manufacturing and consulting too. James is a Chartered Member of the CISI and holds the Level 4 Investment Advice Diploma.

Jane is a qualified Chartered Accountant and brings a wealth of experience from holding senior finance roles in sectors including Media, Food and Beverage and FMCG. For the past 9 years Jane has specialised in Investment Management within the Media sector with her most recent role as Finance Director.

Asker has 15 years experience in business partnering, financial leadership and project management roles. He is a CIMA qualified accountant with substantial experience in reorganising complex financial systems. Asker has in-depth knowledge of statutory accounts, taxation, equity and property funds, corporate finance and risk management. He is also an expert in forecasting and using data to drive decision-making.

Carolina Manhusen is CEO of 10% for the Ocean, sister organisation to portfolio company, Arksen Ltd, and co-founder of One Ocean Planet, and founder of the Ocean Born Foundation. A planetary health advocate and impact investor with a background in economics, investment banking, and social enterprise, she serves on international boards and advisory groups, advancing ocean protection, climate solutions, and the intersection of biodiversity and gender equality. Caroline is an advisor to Vala on funds, diversity and climate-focussed technologies.

Jake is the founder and former CEO of Goji, a fintech asset management platform. Jake led the company through a number of VC-led investment rounds from some of Europe’s largest fintech VCs including Axa and Anthemis. Goji now provides asset management services to clients across Europe administering over £400m of assets.

Naseer is a highly accomplished IT and Systems Manager with over 15 years of hands-on experience in driving technological strategy and maintaining critical infrastructure. The majority of his expertise was gained working in high-growth environments, particularly in the fintech and enterprise SaaS sectors.

Paddy co-founded Plum Baby, a disruptor that became one of the UK’s fastest growing food brands. Plum was sold to Darwin Private Equity in year five for £10m, since when Paddy has been actively involved in start-ups, including co-founding and leading Mission Ventures, a team of food entrepreneurs who help to build better challenger brands. They recently partnered with Warburtons to form Batch Ventures, a vehicle to back exciting brands in baked goods.

Mike chairs the Investment Committee for the Vala Sustainable Growth EIS. He set up the Sustainability Group to make sustainability and social purpose a core part of how businesses and investors plan for the future. He was previously Executive Director of UNICEF UK, CEO of Action Contre Le Faim in Paris, Chair of Soccer Aid, and Global Humanitarian Director at Save the Children. He has worked as a commercial consultant for numerous financial institutions and businesses, helping them achieve their social, sustainability and ESG investment objectives. Mike has also sat on the ESG advisory committee of FTSE Russell, advised numerous family offices, businesses, investment funds and social entrepreneurs on how to implement programmes that achieve both social impact and financial returns, and he is a retained advisor to a number of high profile boards and businesses.

John has valuable experience of starting, growing and exiting companies in the technology and media sectors. He was previously Chairman of CentralNic, a domain name registry service that floated on the Alternative Investment Market. He was also founder of DITG and chief executive of Emizon, both of which achieved exits through successful trade sales. Earlier in his career, John held senior roles at BT and BSkyB, where he helped to develop the companies' early internet business strategies.

Boyd is the Managing Partner of Sapphire Capital Partners, the Investment Manager for British Ventures EIS and Sustainable Growth EIS. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a former director of PwC in New York. Sapphire Capital specialises in the SEIS and EIS sectors, managing multiple funds and has helped more than 300 companies with the process of qualifying for tax reliefs. The firm has won multiple industry accolades, including the EIS Association’s award for Best SEIS Fund Manager.